Braking system and valve



May 24, 1932., J, W, LACY' 8 1,860,188

BRAKING SYSTEM AND VALVE vFiled Nov. 2,` 192'9 Patented May 24, 1982 UNITEDSTATES JOSEIIH W. LACY, OF CHESTER, CALIFORNIA IBRAKING SYSTEM AND VALVE l Application led November 2, 1929. Serial No1 404,429;

My invention relates to a system which is useful for de'celerating a moving body such as a train. Myinvention also contemplates the provision of va valve structure which is useful with the braking system of my invention. Since the valve andthe braking system' have been utilized successfully inconnection with railway practice onl trains I shall describe them in this environment.

Present day railway practice' with respect to the deceleration of the 4train includes the provision of two braking-systems which are respectively termed yautomatic air and straight air. With automatic air, an 4application of the brakes is made upon each vehicle comprising the train upon a reduction in pressure inthe brakeline which connects the several braking mechanisms. The reduction is made by opening a valve-inthe engineers cab. vThemotive force for the apvplication of the/brakes is Supplied from a main reservoir usually lcarried upon the loco- 'm'otive This reservoir serves, 1n combination with a valve termed a triple valve, to f supply air for application of brakes, for their releaseand to maintain a'pre'ssure in an auX- 'iliary air reservoir provided upon each of -the vehicles. The triple valve is a relatively complexmechanism which controls the passage of air from the auxiliary reservoir to the braking mechanism. vThis valve, like any other piece of mechanism is apt to be in bad repair and defective. Under some conditions it happens that 4the air pressure cannotbe maintained or cannot be so applied as to permit ofthe control of the train. These conditions have given rise to serious accivdents. l

l Straight air calls for an application directly from the inain air reservoir on the locomotive to each of the individual braking mechanisms throughout the train. When it is vdesired to release the brakes the system, including the brake pipe extending throughout thetraimmust be entirely vented through the valve in the engineers cab.y requires i .i a considerable length of'time for execution 1 and a consequent delay Vin handling. i

It is therefore an object'of lmy invention i Y -to provide a braking system which will en-' able an application of straight air to be utilized for the braking of altrain withoutthe neessity of venting the system'bnly at'th'e ca The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth at length in vthe following description where I shall outline in full that `form of braking system andnvalve of my invention, which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and'lformingpartof the present specification.` In saiddrawings I have shown one form lof the braking system and'valve embodying my invention, but it is to be understood that I do notrlimit myself to such form since the invention, as set forth in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality ofv forms. i

In the drawings, to which reference has been m'ade,'Figure l ,isy a'diagramm'atic re-presentation of abraking system. y

Figure v2 is a sideelevationof a valve em- Vployed with my braking system.- '1

Figure 3 isa view in'transverse'section of the valvehshownan- Figure 2. Y

Figure 4 is a cross section through thekvalve `Shown in Figure 3` alongV the VVline v 4 4 thereof. l

' Figure V 5 .is a cross section through" the device shown in Figure 3 along the line 5--,5.

Figure 6 is a VcrossV section through' the prises-a braking system in-which an appli-` cation 'of' airis made directly from the `main ail valve shown in Figure Bjalongthe lineG-G.

reservoir inthe engineer@ cabto each of the braking mechanisms upon the vehiclesV comprising the train." VThe system is lso provided that the venting is accomplished-individually on each of .the cars, thus obviating the necessity of venting the entire sys`r tem through the engineers valve.v U

1 My invention also contemplates the provision of a valve structure which is useful in accomplishing the braking :of a train by means of straight air,.the braking being eitfected by the application of various air pressures corresponding to the degree of deceleration desired.

In that forhiof the'ihvhtioh which I have Y disclosed in: Figurel there is provided a i I plied'to the braking mechanism may be'vented `directly to the atmosphere at thispoint toy reduce fthegfpressure. A systemV operating substantially lalong these lines is practically identical with ltheusual straight air system.

In accordance'with my invention I 4have -provided la valve--means, indicated generally at; 16', v'whichenables ank almost immediate Vreduction tolbc :made upon each one'of the brake mechanisms included in yther-trainv so thatthedeceleration effect may be quickly .stoppedif desired. v

In theform of vvalve which Ihave chosen i to disclose here, Va body -2lfis formed with a suitable pipe connections are openings 23 and? centrally vpositioned :passageway 22.; lIn

communication-with this central passage .-way and 1 formed with screw threads to receive 24 `respectively provided upon the outlet and inlet side of the body. The :openings and the central pasasge way furnish al -fluid passage kdirectlyfthru the bodyrrwhich is agcontinu-A ance of the'iluidpassage througha straight ,Hair pipe.

VThe opening23 is lin communication with aV passage. 26.through a conduit 27.- Thepas-` sage V26. and the central passage way 22 areso vdisposed in the body:r that a piston 28 'which is Amovable in a cylinder 29 canobstruct and Vshut off Vtheffiowof air throughV the passage 2(5101 the'central passageway 22. The :piston is ,preferablyV of such extent that but one of these fluidv lpassagesis iobstructed Vfby the piston at any onetime. 4The piston is biased, i for reasons which will presently appear; bya

spring'3l, the .tension of which is .adjusted by means-of .adj usting: nut It is -to be noted that the yadjusting:fnut 32 is hollow so that Y. fluid 'l passing. through the' passage way 26 may pass out through the Lunobstructed portion of the cylinder tothe atmosphere;l

l In operation, upon-an application vvof air rrthrough the fgcontrol'valve to the lbraking mechanism', the piston; 28 moves downwardly against the `bias ofthe =spring"3lfto Vclose the Ypassage 26 andtoallow the Vairl topass through the centralpassage way 22 on tothe the reservoir upon one side of the piston, being in excess of the atmospheric pressure upon the other side, maintains it in a position wherein the passage 26 is cut off from communication with'the atmosphere. When it is desired to release the braking mechanism the control valve is vented Ythrough vent 14. This serves to reduce thel pressure the line up to the piston 28 which then movesto close the central passagewayJ 22 and to open the passage 26 so that theairrmay pass; directly through the hollow nut 32f-,tov the atmosphere. In this manner the release of'air upon the braking mechanism is facilitated in such a manner/that operations similar to thosepossible with'. automatic air are had.

VI have found it desirable to provide for the collectionand removal of moisture and sediment which may findy its way to the system.

`'Io'carefforthe sediment; I preferablyY pro- Vbraking mechanism. The air pressure from vide a screen 36'l inthe-inlet opening .24 so` Y thatfair -admittedito the; valve isstrained. VTo care for yany'moisture which maybe pres- .ent in the air at .this point I have preferably formed .the valve-bodyy -with achamber37,

as is best shown in Figure V7,-which is so'positioned as to receive moisture findingfits way past thefscreen.v A screw 38 serves to close thechamber in such a fashionthat removal of any sediment ormoisture mayl be readily made. f Somewhat` similar i protection is Aai? 'fordedfthe vbraking"mechanism-side of the .valve through :the provisionofv space 39 in communication with thevopening 23 through vrthe conduitw27.' This opening likewise closed by a screw -41fsothat ready removal vmay be had: of sedimentrand moisture. r

In practiceythe valve may be set tOoperate under diierent pressure differentials. This;

is readily accomplishedby 'adjusting't'he ltensitioned itis desirablethat' the nutbe adequately secured linplace.: To accomplish.Vv this I have preferably formed the nut with castellations 42 in which a spring clip 43 is Yreceived to lock the nut relative to the-body.

If desiredarmore-substantialA form of lock may Vbeoemployed so that changing 'of the? be made by an authorized having a bore therein,V a solid pistonrecipro- Y sion of-thespring 31v by means of the nut-S32. Y When thepiston and spring have been` pocable in saidbore between a irstposition and a secondposition, a plug Yseated in one end of said bore to form an abutment,rsaidplug1hav ing'a passage therethrough to establishjcommunicati'on between saidbore and the atmos- Y' YVpl"i ere, and a spring abutting saidplug-and vsaid piston for urging saidv piston'Y Vtowards `said first positionysaid body, havingga first passage extending. entirely therethrough and yintersecting'said boreV in a'location such'that i said first passage is blocked by said piston in said first position, and said body having a second passage communicating with said first passage and intersecting said bore in a location such that said second passage is blocked by said piston in said second position but establishes communication with the atmosphere through said plug whenV said piston is in said first position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH W. LACY. 

